This week the Olympic torch for the 2008 Beijing Games was lit in Olympia, Greece. Several pro-Tibetan demonstrators disrupted the Chinese spokesman’s celebratory speech. Police bundled away the two Tibetan and its procession ran through the ancient Greek town without incident, until more protests against the 60 years of Chinese repression. Greek police physically restrained the dissidents and the torch proceeded on the first stage of its 20-nation tour of the world.
Protests are expected at every stop and Chinese diplomats have requested extra security from the Thai police for the torch’s appearance in Thailand capitol on April 18. Already one of the 80 designated Thai runners has withdrawn from the event to stand up for Tibetan rights and human activists are planning demonstrations against China for its mistreatment of Buddhist monks in Lhasa along the scheduled route from Chinatown to Chitralada Palace, the Bangkok royal residence.
It remains to be seen if Thai people will actually join in the protests, since most Thais will be visiting family for the Songkran festival.
Free Tibet and Northern Ireland too and also Corsica and the Spanish Sahara and Brittany and Pattani and on and on and on.
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